Is starting a blog in 2019 a good idea if you are a game developer?
Making a video game is hard. Creating a good video game is harder. Making a successful video game is indie development on extreme mode! However there are some things that can be done as an indie developer to give you a better chance of success.
The key to giving you the best chance of success as an indie game developer is building a community that is interested in the content you create as a developer.
Is Starting A Blog Worth It
In 2019 there are a number of ways to build a community. There are many social networks that can be used to build and focus your community. Twitter, YouTube, Discord, Facebook are just a few social networks where it is possible to build large and active community.
However the main issue with building a community off of a social network is that your community is essentially in the hands of that network. If, for example, you have a successful YouTube channel where you vlog about your game development. What happens if YouTube suddenly decides to remove your channel. It has happened to large creators in the past without any real justification. The same can be said for any social network, the community you have built can be disappear overnight if something happens to that network. It’s ultimately not in your control.
This is where starting a blog can be a great idea. The thing about starting a blog website is that the community you build is in your control. Over time you can build up an audience that is interested in the content you post on your blog. A community that won’t disappear just over night because of something out of your control.
If you go about starting a blog the right way you can end up with a mailing list of all of the members of your community. This enables you to go about communicating with your community any way you see fit, outside of the controls of a social network.
On top of that you are not limited to the content types enforced by any specific social network. When you create a blog, you are able to create content however you want.
Starting A Blog in 2019
The first thing you will need if you want to create a website is a web host. There are a number of options available for web hosting depending on your needs.
Starting A Blog With Free Web Hosting
There are a number of free web hosting sites available to get you started if that’s the way you want to go.
Unless you are a html guru or willing to pay someone to make a website, chances are you will need a website builder. Fortunately there are many great website builders available. A lot of the free website hosting options also come with a built in free website builder.
If you do go for a completely free web hosting option then you will need accept that there will be some shortcomings.
Free Website Builders
The benefit with a free website builder like Wix is that they are very easy to use. You can literally create a blog within minutes. They also come with a vast array of royalty free images to use on your blog. Which means you won’t have to worry about pesky copyright issues when you create a blog.
However, as great as the free website builder options are. You are not going to have the same level of freedom when you create a website as you would with something like a blog on WordPress.
Free Domain Name
The main downside to using a free web hosting service is that you won’t be able to use your own domain name. Trust me I searched high and low and couldn’t find a trust worthy free web host that would let you use your domain name.
Using your own domain name when creating a blog is really important, especially if you want your community to know your brand. It also looks a lot more trust worthy and professional when you use your own domain name on your own website. Meaning you are more likely to attract a larger community.
Wix has the option of using your own domain name when you create a blog, but it come at a cost. And if you are going to pay anyway, then you may as well pay for something more powerful.
Best Web Hosting For Starting A Blog
When I decided to make the jump from free web hosting to more powerful website hosting option. I wanted to make sure I was picking the best web hosting deal available. I researched a number of the best web hosting options available, including.
- BlueHost
- InMotion Web Hosting
- 1&1, IONOS
- HostGator
- GoDaddy Web Hosting
- Wix Web Hosting
To cut to the chase and to save you time. I quickly came to the conclusion that BlueHost was the best web hosting option available. There are a number of reasons why I came to this conclusion with the most important being; cost, quality of service and features.
BlueHost Web Hosting Cost
To start with BlueHost offers one of the most competitive pricing plans around. Starting from just $7.99/month. However you can make the most of their web hosting with the following special promotional price. $3.95 for the whole of the first term which includes a free domain! $3.95 is less than the price of a coffee per month to ensure you have a solid and professional web hosting service. Along with a domain name of your own choosing!
BlueHost Quality
The service quality is among the very best available. Boasting a server uptime of 99.99%. Meaning you will hardly ever have to worry about your blog going down. In the two years that I’ve used them, this has never happened. On the few occasions that I have had to contact customer support, their 24/7 web hosting support is one of the best available. Their response time has been immediate and extremely helpful!
BlueHost Features
BlueHost boasts a huge array of features to help when you create a blog. Including web hosting control panel and one click WordPress installing. Also creating subdomains and managing your domain emails is easily handled.
If you want a more comprehensive comparison, there are a number of in depth BlueHost reviews and comparisons to other web hosting sites. However to further clarify my conclusion. Over 5 years ago I researched web hosting options for a client at the time. I came to the conclusion then that BlueHost was the best web hosting fit. Three years later and after more research I came to the same conclusion again. Which is why I felt so confident choosing BlueHost as the web host for my personal blog.
Tips For Starting A Blog
If you decide to start your own blog and build your own community, there are some key tips and tricks to follow. These tricks will ensure your content is found by your potential future community. As well as making sure your blog is SEO friendly. You can also take steps to ensure your posts are found in as many ways as possible. To help you do this I’ve combined 5 of my top tips that I’ve learnt over the past 3 years to help get my content seen and noticed by thousands monthly.
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